Tapawera Area School
48 Main Road, Tapawera · Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast
Composite score
Concern
Below median
Rank #2,297 of scored NZ schools
Active MoE intervention — limited statutory manager
A limited statutory manager has been appointed to Tapawera Area School as of 2025-10-21. NZ Gazette notice
In summary
Tapawera Area School has experienced significant leadership changes and currently operates under limited statutory manager intervention. The ERO review in April 2024 found low progress and achievement for many Years 1 to 10 students, with variable use of assessment data by teachers. The newly appointed principal and senior leadership team are establishing systems and priorities, and have re-established student wellbeing foundations through their 'FIRE way' values, though further development is needed to improve teaching effectiveness and student outcomes.
Best suited for
Students all year levels (Year 1-13) in Tapawera looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Tapawera Area School a good school?
Tapawera Area School is currently under MoE intervention — a limited statutory manager has been appointed. The school's day-to-day teaching continues; the intervention addresses governance or operational concerns identified by the Ministry. Read the NZ Gazette notice for details.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- The newly appointed principal is focusing on working with the senior leadership team and school board to identify priorities and is beginning to develop and establish systems and processes
- The senior leadership team are working collaboratively to support, build effective teaching to promote student learning and wellbeing
- Re-established foundations that support student wellbeing and engagement in the school through the refresh of the 'FIRE way' values
Summary derived from ERO reports + audited financials + MoE records. Every claim links to its source — see data transparency at the bottom of this page.
Score breakdown
6 axes, each scored 0–100 on a national absolute scale. As at 2025.
L1 64% · L2 46% · UE 27% · bottom quartile of band (n=109) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 0% · Te Pūkenga 1% · Industry 2% · bottom 10% of band (n=102) · why? ▼ hide
73% to Y13 · below band median (n=115) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 82.1/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · below band median (n=468) · why? ▼ hide
-13.6% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · bottom quartile of band (n=469) · why? ▼ hide
45/100 from ERO review 2024-04 · bottom 10% of band (n=471) · why? ▼ hide
⚠ Insufficient EQI-band peers (n<10) to compute per-axis percentile context. The score above is absolute; treat it as a single-school read rather than a peer comparison.
Real ERO composite (from the latest review): 45/100.
Latest ERO review
2024-04-15 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- School has experienced significant upheaval and leadership changes over the past two years
- Low levels of progress and achievement for many Years 1 to 10 students
- Variable practice of teachers understanding and use of assessment data to identify needs and inform planning
- Newly appointed principal is beginning to develop and establish systems and processes with senior leadership team
- Staff are open to change after a considerable time of uncertainty
"The newly appointed principal is focusing on working with the senior leadership team and school board to identify priorities and is beginning to develop and establish systems and processes."
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2019–2024. Click a point to read that review.
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
63.6%
7 of 11 leavers
-24.9pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
45.5%
5 of 11 leavers
-39.1pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
27.3%
3 of 11 leavers
-18.9pt vs prior year
Data: Ministry of Education / Education Counts, CC-BY-4.0
Stay-on rate
Percentage of students who stay at school until at least their 17th birthday — the standard NZ proxy for Year-9-to-Year-13 retention.
72.7%
2024 cohort · 11 students
-11.9pt vs 2023
Discipline (age-standardised, per 1,000 students)
Stand-down = sent home temporarily. Suspension = formal investigation. Exclusion = removed from school. National averages shown for comparison.
Stand-downs · 2024
82.1
14 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 1
- Creative Industries 1
Government funding
Crown funding only (school operations + teacher salaries + property). Excludes locally-raised funds, international fees and trading income — those are in the audited financial report above.
Total Crown funding · 2022
$2.98M
Per-student funding · 2022
$19,588
2018
$2.3M
2019
$2.1M
2020
$2.4M
2021
$2.6M
2022
$3.0M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 10
- Year 02 12
- Year 03 16
- Year 04 8
- Year 05 15
- Year 06 13
- Year 07 11
- Year 08 12
- Year 09 13
- Year 10 20
- Year 11 11
- Year 12 11
- Year 13+ 7
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 92.1%
- Māori 32.9%
- Pacific 2.0%
- Other / MELAA 1.3%
Location
48 Main Road, Tapawera. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Tapawera Area School.
Frequently asked
Is Tapawera Area School a good school?
Tapawera Area School is currently under MoE intervention — a limited statutory manager has been appointed. The school's day-to-day teaching continues; the intervention addresses governance or operational concerns identified by the Ministry. Read the NZ Gazette notice for details.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2024-04 review identified 6 key findings. School has experienced significant upheaval and leadership changes over the past two years
How do I enrol my child at Tapawera Area School?
Contact the school directly on 03-5224337, email office@tapawera.school.nz, or visit www.tapawera.school.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.
What are the fees?
Tapawera Area School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Tapawera Area School has 152 students, with an EQI of 496 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Tapawera Area School in 2024-04, signed by Shelley Booysen. 3 ERO reports are on file in our archive.
Data transparency
Every fact on this page links to its source. We never publish a claim without provenance — read our methodology for the full rules.
Sourced from
- ero.govt.nz
- gazette.govt.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz